I've decided to double-down on my Ford truck that I daily-drive. I have a short commute, so I'm not putting a whole lot of miles on it. But still, I'm right at 300K (second owner, I've put about 170k on it.)

It's had very little work outside of a few fuel pumps, water pumps, and a rebuilt transmission.
So here's the run down of things already accomplished and/or planned:

• Gooseneck turnover ball hitch. We've recently acquired a gooseneck trailer, so this was a precursor to that.
• Gauges. Now that it's towing more frequently, I wanted to keep tabs on more vitals.
• 6-Position Chip (Stock, hi idle, 50, 75, 100, 140hp settings)
• New silicon intake boots, after gauge install, truck wasn't making hardly any boost.
• Front Grille refinish
• New Turbo Compressor wheel. (Gen 2 Wicked Wheel)
• After market steering box and Steering shaft. (This truck wanders like a nomad).
• Reverse Shackle Kit. (Super Duty leaf spring set up, improves ride and height.
• Injectors?
• Intercooler?

Gauge Install:

Boost, Exhaust Temp, Trans temp


Boost sensor Tees into MAP sensor line.


Trans temp sender goes into this test port




Drill exhaust manifold, tap, and install pyro probe


Drill hole in Master Cylinder block off plate (this truck is auto) and install grommet for wires into cab.



Route wires up through dash, pull power from fuse block, and tie into gauge light dimmer circuit.


Voila! Lighted, functional gauges.

Next I refinished the grille insert.
Old and faded:



Chrome all masked off

Painted satin black, now only old, not faded.

Probably should do something about those yellow headlights too...

So far, more than anything, the 6-position chip really woke this truck up. It's amazing how much more power and boost it makes. I've been daily driving it on the 75hp setting and it is so much more responsive.
The new compressor wheel will show up mid next week, so I'm excited about that.

Have you replaced the downpipe yet?

The downpipe on 94.5-97 7.3L Powerstrokes is hammered to hell.



Replacing it with one thats not beat up will help reduce your EGTs. MBRP makes a good one. I have a wholesale account with a few of these distributors and I can get you a deal on many of these goodies.

You can also DIY a TYMAR style intake on the cheap.

Good choice on the gauges. I love ISSPRO EV Series.

Are you considering a Red Head steering box? A lot of Bronco guys have been putting the stock Ford 4 bolt boxes from the 99 - 01 Super Duty/Excursion in their trucks with good results. I'm considering going that route.

Yes I didn't mention I already have the full exhaust upgrade, including a 3" down pipe to 4", cat delete.
Also have the 6637 tymar style filter or whatever the number is. Thanks for the offer on the hookup!

Yes the red head box is what I've seen that has good reviews, it's not cheap though. I'll have to read up on the super duty box upgrade, haven't heard that before!

Maybe I missed it, but what chip? And how much was it?

My 2002 7.3 has 345k miles on it now.

What's the consensus on replacement lights? Mine are yellow and fogged. At this point their true purpose is being seen sat night instead of actually seeing.

You can get an OBS 6pc set on fleabay for $75 or less. I did mine last year and have no complaints at all.

Streetfighter 02 said:

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What's the consensus on replacement lights? Mine are yellow and fogged. At this point their true purpose is being seen sat night instead of actually seeing.

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A guy on the Bronco forum does bi-xenon retrofits in stock replacement housings for $300. It's the best OE looking light upgrade you can do.



I thought this setup was pretty slick with an off road/driving light installed in the lower housing. Looks much better than the Anzo lights with crappy halogen projectors.

Got a link? I want to stick with an OE look.

Streetfighter 02 said:

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Got a link? I want to stick with an OE look.

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http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/63-fsb-member-vendors/301162-80-86-92-96-bi-xenon-projector-retrofits.html

Their forum is weird. If you log in, you can't see that thread unless you have 75 posts, but you can view it as a guest. I'd just PM TCM GLX.

txyaloo said:

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Streetfighter 02 said:

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What's the consensus on replacement lights? Mine are yellow and fogged. At this point their true purpose is being seen sat night instead of actually seeing.

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A guy on the Bronco forum does bi-xenon retrofits in stock replacement housings for $300. It's the best OE looking light upgrade you can do.



I thought this setup was pretty slick with an off road/driving light installed in the lower housing. Looks much better than the Anzo lights with crappy halogen projectors.

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Damn thats hot

He does good work.

I just got done painting the body/topper of my Bronco. I really want to ditch the craptastic Anzos and I'm too lazy to do a factory conversion. Considering a new set of OBS lights runs $100, and the FX-R projectors run close to that, i don't think $50-75 in labor for the conversion work is out of line. Seems very fair.

Alright, anyone have info on aftermarket high speed filler necks? I'd like to use the big truck pumps when possible and my front filler neck is dented from a blowout.

Tim Weaver said:

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Maybe I missed it, but what chip? And how much was it?

My 2002 7.3 has 345k miles on it now.

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http://www.riffraffdiesel.com/ts-performance-6-position-chip-w-tunes/

$180, (free shipping I think). Hard to beat that price anywhere, plus if you ever upgrade injectors, you can send your chip in and they will re-tune for free a lot of times. (They being whoever you purchase injectors from.)

Pep Boys called...they think they can sell thousands of these

Re: Riff Raff diesel

CATAGBQ04 said:

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Pep Boys called...they think they can sell thousands of these

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If they do it right with a true HID projector, I'm a customer.

Options for better lighting on the OBS is terrible.

Got the new compressor wheel installed this week. This job would be a lot easier if one bolt on the housing was easier to get to.

New Wheel is a work of art.


Strip all the air intake and y-inlet items out of the way and you get this. You can sort of see the bottom bolt at 6 0'clock position on the compressor side.


After unbolting (about 3 degrees at a time) the hard to reach bolt, the housing came loose with a little prying and dead blows.


Inside view:


Old wheel on shaft. Note the vane damage ( I knew this was the case and happened to previous owner)



New wheel installed. I tried the impact method in hopes to not have to open up the downpipe side to hold the shaft in place, but no luck.


Housing reinstalled, spins freely with no binding.


Close up of OE wheel damage.

Driveability seems good, it didn't really make a huge noticeable difference, but it isn't really supposed to anyway. Seems to spool up a little quicker and boost registers more or less the same as before.

I may try to do a leak test to see if I'm loosing any pressure anywhere.
Next on the hit list will the be the steering and suspension items!

Soooo my turbo gave up on me over the weekend. I think the thrust bearing is going out.

I can hear it barely contacting the housing on let-off.

The good news is this will be a good time to replace my leaky up-pipes and upgrade to this:
http://www.riffraffdiesel.com/garrett-tp38-hybrid-turbo-w-pedestal/

Smaller exhaust housing for quicker spool up as well as the backpressure valve delete.

Anyone want to come turn some wrenches?!

That's bad news. Possibly the shaft was out of balance with the new wheel.

Doing up pipes isn't much fun on the OBS 7.3. There just isn't much room to play with. Have you considered going to a T4 turbo setup like Irate Diesel's setup? KC Turbo also has been developing some drop in turbo options.
I went to a T4 setup on my 1997. Pretty involved install unfortunately. I had to cut and make a patch in the floor for the downpipe to clear. However, it's a completely different truck now!

Ooh that's fancy. I have seen those, but not sure the advantage....I guess the T4 flange flows better?

Definitely not wanting to get too crazy cutting firewall. I also already have a full exhaust with 3" DP to 4", so wouldn't want to have to start over there either.

I think I would be more than happy with this Hybrid turbo and a new set of Stage 1 injectors. I figure I don't realize how worn out this engine is (305,000 miles) until I wake it up with those two things.

This doesn't even take into account the front end that is about to fall off. Probably going to pull the trigger on Caryt's reverse shackle kit with the superduty springs. Have you done this?

The OBS actually uses the same T4 flange from the factory. However, the T4 setup I have allows me to run a standard rotation T4 turbo (all 7.3s used a reverse rotation turbo). You can see the outlet of my turbo is upside down compared to the factory setup.
The aftermarket on reverse rotation 7.3 turbos is limited to modified drop in turbos.
The biggest advantage I saw from going to the setup I have is all the turbo options I could ever need.. I also really liked their up-pipe and intercooler pipe setup. With this turbo and intercooler EGTs are cooler, and the truck builds boost on the low end like the stock turbo never could have.
I came from a stock turbo and stage 1 injectors, and it was a really nice setup. It's a rock solid combination. You're not making any mistakes there.

Yes, I did a Dana 60 swap on my 97 and I did a shackle reversal with Super Duty springs. Definitely improved the ride. And it was a straight forward install.
I went with this kit. As it was more of a bolt in solution. Before this kit came out, many would use a kit from SKY Manufacturing. It required some modification to accommodate the longer Super Duty springs.
http://www.pmfsuspension.com/OBS-RSK-SD-Spring-Hanger-Conversion-Kit_p_13.html

I went with their 2.25" kit. Not too much taller than a factory F350 4x4.

damn, that is a beautiful truck

BB turbo or GTFO

1agswitchin4lanes said:

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BB turbo or GTFO

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Like dis one??

https://kcturbos.net/collections/7-3-powerstroke/products/94-98-obs-kc-tp38r-turbo

agwrangler2001 said:

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1agswitchin4lanes said:

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BB turbo or GTFO

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Like dis one??

https://kcturbos.net/collections/7-3-powerstroke/products/94-98-obs-kc-tp38r-turbo

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KC Turbo actually has been working on building a turbo comparable to the Borg Warner 300 Series turbo I have in my 97. It's a drop in replacement using their 38R frame.

They only have this turbo for the Super Duty 7.3 currently. But the OBS 7.3 version will be out in a few months.
https://kcturbos.net/collections/7-3-powerstroke/products/kc-7-3-stage2-turbo

Well I decided to go with the Hybrid Turbo from Riff Raff. The price for the deleted pedestal and 1.0 exhaust housing along with the turbo itself was too hard to pass up.

Here's a few pics of the stock turbo tear down an the new unit.

None of the shaft bushings or bearings showed any real sign of damage.



Old 1.15 AR housing.


Brand new (<6 months?) compressor wheel damage from contacting housing. This is what was making the noise. I thought about running it on the new turbo, but decided not too.


Factory leaky up pipes. Lots of soot at joints, and the y-collector just fell off once the bottom manifold bolts were loose.


NEW Hybrid Turbo with the same compressor wheel I had. You can also see the new bellowed up pipes, EBPV deleted pedestal and exhaust outlet in the back.


No silly butterfly valve to get in the way of MOAR POWER.

No pics of completed install, but there isn't much difference visually anyway.
Turbo spools up much quicker and lower in RPM band. I noticed some small leaks still where my up pipes meet Y-collector, still trying to get that tightened up. But even with leaks, I can tell it's making more boost right off idle. Max boost I've seen is maybe 15-17psi? Previously it was rare to see above 10 even while towing heavy.
EGTs are a little higher; we will see how towing goes.
Definitely more smoke on heavy throttle also.

Also, if anyone asks you to help change up pipes on a 7.3, I would courteously decline. It sucks. I had to pull my cab mounts on driver side just to get old pipe out.